Paris (AFP)
The amount of the ecological bonus for the purchase of an electric vehicle, currently set at 6,000 euros, will be revised downwards in 2021 and 2022, announced Tuesday the Ministry of the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, which takes into account the fall in price of this type of vehicle.
"The government has decided to maintain the budget envelope of the bonus in 2021 (400 million euros) to support more than 130,000 vehicles," said the Ministry of Ecological Transition, adding that the bonus "will be raised to 5,000 euros for individuals in 2021 ".
For the year 2022, the budget allocated to financing this device will increase to around 340 million euros to support more than 160,000 vehicles, while the bonus will be lowered to 4,000 euros.
These figures take into account the expected drop in prices for electric vehicles "which will be accelerated in particular by the new European standards on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from car manufacturers", the ministry said.
Nearly 40,000 electric vehicles benefited from the bonus in 2018 and 50,000 in 2019.
"The objective for 2020 is to multiply by 2 in 1 year the number of vehicles supported, and to reach 100,000 electric vehicles benefiting from the bonus," it was underlined.
On the other hand, certain categories of vehicles will not be able to take full advantage of the system in 2020. Vehicles whose price is between 45,000 and 60,000 euros will indeed be allocated a reduced bonus, at 3,000 euros, in order to avoid "the effects of bargain. "
"Beyond a price of 60,000 euros (very high-end vehicles), vehicles will no longer be eligible for the bonus, with the exception of light commercial vehicles (...) and hydrogen vehicles", added the ministry.
The government has also decided to distinguish natural and legal persons in the allocation of the device "because of the tax advantages for electric vehicles available to companies".
The companies "are indeed exempt from tax on company vehicles for electric vehicles owned", added the ministry.
The bonus will be reduced to 3,000 euros for legal persons in 2020, to 2,000 euros in 2021 and then to 1,000 euros in 2022.
"This multi-year visibility on the bonus is a very strong expectation of the automotive industry," assured the Ministry of Ecological Transition, indicating that a decree will appear "by the end of the year" to implement the provisions bonus for the year 2020.
© 2019 AFP